Cesar Millan Searches the Globe for Dog Lovers Who Have What It Takes to be the Leader of the Pack

There are too many dogs in the world without loving homes. Each year, millions of dogs across the world are abandoned due to seemingly insurmountable behavior issues, leaving them destined for lifelong incarceration or even euthanasia. What’s a difficult dog to do? Luckily, now one very special human is looking out for them. A man known around the world for his incredible ability to rehabilitate dogs and train the humans who want to love them. A man with a remarkable instinct for understanding dogs.

That man is world-renowned dog behaviorist Cesar Millan, who is combating the global issue of canine abandonment and giving “unadoptable” dogs a second chance at life in his new Nat Geo WILD series Cesar Millan’s Leader of the Pack, premiering Saturday, January 5, 2013, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. But Millan’s biggest challenge may be training the candidates who are vying for a chance to give these dogs a new lease on life.

Following the wild success of his long-running series “The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,” Millan’s new show takes him to the beautiful country of Spain, where each week he transfers extreme canine cases to his new Dog Psychology Center in Miraflores, just outside of Madrid. In each episode, three candidates from either the UK, Italy, or the Netherlands compete for the chance to adopt one special pup, with their dog skills put to the test in a series of special Cesar Millan canine challenges. Meanwhile, Millan employs his “exercise, discipline and affection” technique to overcome hurdles with dogs that are particularly skittish or aggressive to painstakingly rehabilitate each one and prepare them for adoption.

“Dog Whisperer had a passion, but ‘Leader of the Pack’ has a mission,” says Millan. “Now I am combining my passion with my lifelong mission to prevent the deaths of so many innocent dogs. My goal with this show is to awaken the world to how many dogs are euthanized in one year, how we kill them and how the world really treats what we call man’s best friend. By recognizing what is really happening around the world, we can save the lives of millions of dogs by respecting their love.”
To raise awareness about rescuing, rehabilitation, and rehoming, Millan will go through a journey to show the difficult situation of rescued dogs and to demonstrate that it’s not about the breed, age, size, or the backstory of the dog; it´s about the human who handles the dog.
“I don’t believe any dog is hopeless,” adds Millan. “Many people around the world adopt or purchase a dog they are not prepared for and make the unfortunate decision to abandon them. I’m excited to give some of these animals a new lease on life. By applying rehabilitation methods and instincts, through ‘Leader of the Pack’ I can find the right match and provide happiness, as well as a more fulfilling life, for both the human and dog.”

The potential owners vary from families or couples to a single person, but they all share one passion — they want to become the Leader of the Pack. The selection of the candidates is based on research on their backgrounds, homes, hobbies, and lifestyles. Once at the center in Spain, Millan evaluates each potential adoptee through a series of assessments designed to gauge their canine compatibility — and identify any red flags — before choosing the dog’s best match. The new “leader of the pack” will take the rehabilitated dog home to be safely introduced as the newest member of the family.

Among the dogs viewers will meet in the first three episodes are Jet, a black Labrador crossbreed that needs to learn basic manners and control his puppylike behavior; Brigadiere, a timid mix-breed shelter dog that resorts to biting when he is afraid; and Harry, a 7-year-old basset hound whose owner passed away and whose poor social skills have made it hard to find him a home.